Crankshaft grinding device



1953 E. A. FUGLIE CRANKSHAF'T GRINDING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 3, 1950 INVENTOR. 51/145? )4. FZ/GZ/f TTO ENE YS 5 v1 .5 n? 3 R 1 MW 8 8 M 2, e I m u m w 2 mu m 9 m 2 O I, I a 6 VF T 2 S 5 7/ z Z 0 N 4 6 ll 3 I z a I| -4 A m u 1 n u R s I i 1.5 f 4 n M r Fat f W 7 B W a. m w m EG LN M um 1% M 8 K N A R C Feb. 24, 1953 Flled June 3 1950 "4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 3, 1950 I JIIIIIIIIIII4 all I INVENTOR. fZMf/Q 14. FZ/GL/f BY I Patented Feb. 24, 1953 CRANKSHAFT GRINDING DEVICE Elmer A. Fuglie, Winona, Minn., assignor to Winona Tool Manufacturing Company, a partnership Application June 3, 1950, Serial No. 165,941

6 Claims. (Cl. 51241) My invention relates to improvements in a crankshaft grinding device. In general it is related to a device which is adapted for mounting on or in an engine block or other similar support for grinding the bearings of a crankshaft which is supported for rotation beneath the engine block or support. More particularly the invention is concerned with a device which is supported for vertical reciprocating movement and in which several adjustments can be made for properly grinding the bearing surfaces of a rotating shaft, such as a crankshaft, without having to remove the device from its mountings on the engine block or other support.

The present invention is primarily intended for use in repair shops as distinguished from machines which are used in factorie for performing the original grinding of the bearings.

As the crankshafts and bearings of each particular type of engine may vary somewhat in diameter and width, it is impractical for a repair shop to be equipped with special grinding tools for each individual type of engine. It is important, therefore, that a grinding tool which i intended for general use, such as in an automotive repair shop, be sufficiently adjustable so that it can be satisfactorily used on the crankshafts of virtually any type of engine.

In the present invention the grinding device is supported by a head mechanism which is passed through an opening in the engine block and then suitably clamped about the bearing to be ground, with the grinding wheel positioned above the bearing so as to rotate about an axis which is transverse to the axi of the bearing. An elongated shaft or guide rod is pivotally connected to the head member to permit the head .member to oscillate with the bearing as the crankshaft is rotated. The guide rod in turn extends between a set of guide rollers which are supported on the top of the engine block so that as the crankshaft is rotated, the head member and guide rod will reciprocate vertically, with the guide rod being guided by the rollers. In order that the head assembly be adapted for clamping on any one of a number of different sized bearings, it is provided with an extended armthat 'adjustably supports a clamping means that is adapted to surround a portion of the bearing. To provide further accurateadjustment, a vernier adjustment is provided which adjusts the tension on a roller element that contacts the bearing surface. It is an important feature of the present invention that the adjustment be- ;tween the head member and its associated parts with the bearing surface be made from beneath the crankshaft since this provides an accessible means for making adjustment without removing the device either from the bearing or from it mountings on the engine.

As the particular hearing which is being ground may be unevenly worn or grooved, means are provided for adjustably moving the grinding wheel in a vertical directionrelative to the bearing to thereby grind the bearing to a cylindrical surface. This adjustment is made by means .which is operably connected through the head to the grinding wheel and which may be reached from the upper surface of the engine block.

Since the bearings of different crankshafts may vary somewhat in width, and to avoid the necessity of having to maintain a lar e number of grinding wheels of differing diameters, in the present invention a grinding wheel of relatively small diameter is used and means are provided for laterally moving the wheel between the opposite wall of the bearing but without changing its vertical position relative to the bearing. This adjustment is made by eccentrically rotating the wheel through the arc of a circle and with the lower grinding surface of the wheel always being held in the same horizontal plane. Like the adjustment mentioned above, this lateral adjustment is also made from a point above the engine block.

Frequently the bearing will have a tapered surface which cannot be satisfactorily removed by either of the adjustments mentioned heretofore. To remove the tapered surface, means are provided for adjusting the position of the guiding means so a to slightly tilt the entire mechanism including the grinding wheel so that in effect only a portion of the grinding wheel contacts the bearing surface.

To drive or rotate the grinding wheel, an electric motor is provided which is pivotally supported above the engine block and connected to the wheel by a flexible drive shaft. By pivotally supporting the motor and using a flexible drive shaft, the motor is enabled to flexibly rock on its mounting without interfering with the reciprocating movement of the mechanism nor the several adjustments heretofore mentioned.

An object of the invention is to provide a crankshaft grinding device which is adapted to fully and properly grind the bearings of a crankshaft while the same is rotatably mounted in an engine block.

Another object i to provide in a device of the justably tilting the grinding wheel relative toa bearing so as to bring only a portion of the wheel into contact with the bearing.

A further object is to provide in a device of the class described, a head mechanism which is adapted to be adjustably clamped to a bearing surface, together with means for adjustably psitioning a grinding device carried by the-head, and.

means for supporting the head for both oscillatory and reciprocatory movement so that grind ingof a crank bearing of a crankshaft maybe suitably performed without removing the crankshaft from its'normal mountings in an engine.

Other and further objects may become apparent from the following description and claims and in the appended drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an engine block showing the" present invention mounted in place thereon with a portion extending through to a crankshaft;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken on line 2- 4 ofl ig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig; '3 is an enlarged "side elevation of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan. view of the structure shown in Fig; 3;

Fig; 5 is'a vertical cross-section taken on line 5-5 of Fig; 4 looking in the direction of the arrows:

Fig; 6 is a vertical cross-section taken on line '66 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, reference numeral 10 indicates an' engine block from which theheadportion has been removed. A series of cylindrical openings l2 extend through the block and form chambersthrough which piston connecting-rods, not shown, pass and are joined at their lower ends to bearing surfaces 14 of a conventional crankshaft H5. The bearings l4'at their opposite lateral sides have wall portions indicated at I8 and lBa which constitute the lateral extremities of each of the bearing surfaces. The engine block has the usual water jacket indicated at in Fig. 2, and the block also is provided with a series of bolt holes 24 by means of which the head portion, not shown, is secured to the engine block It.

The present invention constitutes a device which is adapted to be mounted on top of the engine block and consists of a flat plate 26 which rests on the upper surface of the engine block and is secured in place by hold down members 21 acted on by bolts 28 which pass through and are secured in the apertures 24. Adjustably secured for lateral movement on platen by rneansof a boltfiil which passes through a slot 3| is a U-shaped member 32. Within the hollow open center portion of member 32 a plate 34 is pivotally supported by means of a pair of pointed screws 36. The plate 34 in turn supports a plurality of guide rollers 38 whose peripheries are grooved to receive the bevelled edges of a sliding guide rod 40.

At its lower extremity the guide rod 40 is pivotally connected to a head member indicated by the general reference numeral 42 by means of a pivotal connecting member indicated generally at 44. As best seen in Fig. 5, the pivotal mounting connection 44 consists of roller bearing assemblies 46', 48 which are supported by the rod 48 and" between the rod 40 and the head member '42 by a threaded bolt 50. It might here .be stated that the pivotal connecting member 44 is intended to permit oscillatory movement'ofthe head member 42 relative to the guide rod 48, so that as the head member 42 rotates with thecrankshaft I8, a-vertioal movement will be transmitted to the guide rod 40 to enable the latter to vertically move between the guide rollers 38.

Referring now to Figs- 3-9, and particularly to Fig. 5, the head assembly indicated by general reference numeral. 42 consists ofv a cylindrical casing- 52 which supports in its'linterior a.1.ro-'

tatable' member the form? of an elongated tubularbearin'g member: 54 which .hast'ani eccentrically disposed vertically extending interior bore 56'. A coil spring 58 extends between a shoulder portion Gilof the member 54 and shoulder portion 62 ofthe casing 52 andbiases member 54 upwardly relative to the'casing 52, for a purpose to be. describedin detail hereinafter.

Extending vertically through. the .eccentrically disposed'b'ore. 56 of 'memb'eri l and journalled in bearing members 64, .66 is: a. vertically disposed drive shaft 68 whichv at its lower: end is connected to a surface finishing member disclosed as acylindrical abrasive grinding: wheel HI. At its upper end the shaft 68 is. journalled in a bearing member 12 and is connected to a flexible drive shaft 14 whichextends through aferrule 16. The flexible drive shaft is shown in Fig. 1 as extending from an electric motor i8 whichis. pivotally supported at 19 on a bracket 80, which: in turn is secured on the head of the engine block Hi. The flexible drive shaft '14 is normally encased. in. anarmoredcable, not shown.

Referring now to Figs. 4, 6. and 8, there-.- tatable member at its upper end carriesza semi-circular geared. surface 82.. which, asseen in Fig. 6, is quite extensive a vertical dis rection. Thegear teeth of surface 82 meshwith a small pinion gear 84 that. is journalled in a bearing 86, and is connected to a flexible shaft 88. As shown in 1, shaft 88 extends upwardly adjacent the guide rod 40 and its outer card. is connected to a manually rotatable knob 9 Referring now to Fig. 4 in conjunction with Fig. 7, is shown a tubular member 92 which has a threaded interior that surrounds a threaded shaft 94 that is journalled in a bearing member 95. The member 92, as shown in Fig. 8, has an arcuate upper extremity 98 which extends into a grooved portion I 00 of the bearing member 52 above the geared surface 62. The threaded shaft 94 is connected to a flexible shaft lll'Z, which, as shown in Fig. 1, extends upwardlythrough the opening I: in the engine the support I I4. I

tightened into place.

vertical movement of member 92.

block and at its outer end is connected'to a manually adjustable knob I04.

Referring now to Fig. 3 in conjunction with Figs. 2 and 4, an arm I06 extends from the lower portion of the head member 42 and at its upper end i secured to the casing portion 52. Arm I06 has an inner curved surface I! which carries an abutment member I08 that is provided with arms which extend on either side of the arm I06 and are adapted to engage the inner surface of the side walls I8 and I8a of the bearing I4, as is best seen in Fig. 9. The abutment member I00 is detachably held on arm I06 by a bolt I08. At its lower end arm I06 carries a bearing support H4 which is adjustably connected to arm I06 by a bolt II2 that fits within an elongated slot IIO.

On its upper surface the support II4 carries a bearing H8. whose position may be adjusted by a set screw I It so as to bring the bearing I I3 into contact with the crank pin bearing I4. An arm I20 is pivotally connected to the support II4 by means of a pin l22, and the arm I20 at its outer end carries a roller member I24 which is adapted to engage the surface of bearing I4 on a side opposite from arm I 05. member I20 which is provided with a slotted opening I21 extends between the under surface of the support H4 and a lug member I28 on arm I20 that slidably fits within the opening I21.

The angular spring I26 is made adjustable with respectto arm I20 by a large thumb screw I30 which is adapted to engage the under surface of The operation of the device will now be explained in detail. With the head of the engine, not shown, removed, the plate 26 is suitably mounted on the head of the engine block l0 and the head assembly 42 together with all of its parts is passed downwardly through the opening I2 in the engine block. The arm I and the supporting assembly are then suitably adjusted about the lower portion of the bearing. This is accomplished with the spring I26 removed and the support II4 brought intocontact with the lower surface of the bearing whereafter bolt I I2 is If need be, the support I I4 is adjusted by means of a series of scale markings on the lower extremity of the arm and indicated in Fig. 3 by reference numeral I32. Then arm I20 is broughtinto contact with bearing I4 so that the roller I24 engages the outer surface of the bearing. Thereafter the spring I20 is mounted. in place with the slotted opening I21 fitting over lug I28 and a suitable tension is placed on the spring by means of the thumb screw I30. This arrangement provides a triangular bearing surface on three sides of bearing I4 formed by roller I24, bearing II 8 and the abutment I08 carried by arm I055. The purpose of these adjustments is to accommodate the device to bearings of differing diameters and at the same time, to firmly anchor the head assembly 42 with respect to hearing I4. Moreover, the arrangement provides for adjustment from a point beneath the crankshaft, so that if further adjustment is made during the grinding operation, this may be accomplished without having to remove the device from the engine block.

The position of the grinding wheel I0 is adjusted with respect to the bearing in three different ways. First, the wheel I0 is moved verti- -cally with respect to the bearing I4 by rotation of the knob I04 which through the flexible cable I02 and the threaded member 04 brings about Member 92 An angularly shaped spring through its arcuate portion that extends into the horizontal groove I00 is capable of depressing member 54 against the resilience of spring 58 so as to move the member '54 downwardly within the casing 52 to thereby vertically move the grinding wheel I0 in the direction of the bearing surface I4. Since member 54 is held in its depressed position against the resilience of spring 58, rotation of the knob I04 in the opposite direction will cause a release of pressure against the spring 58 to thereby permit member 54 to move upwardly within casing 52.

Second, as shown in Fig. 9, the grinding wheel "I0 is of a width which is substantially less than the face of the bearing between the opposite walls I0 and Ida. In order to grind the bearing surface between the walls I8, Ida, the hand knob 90 is rotated, which through the flexible cable 88 and the pinion gear 84 causes rotation of member 54 about its central axis. Since the driven shaft 68 is eccentrically mounted within member 54, rotation of member 54 causes the driven shaft and the grinding wheel 20 to be arcuately or eccentrically rotated. Because the geared surface 82 extends arcuately about one-half of the outer surface of member 50, member 54% may be rotated through an arc of to thereby cause the grinding wheel to be moved laterally through a slight are between the opposite walls It and I8a of the bearing I4. It will be noted that the geared surface 82 is substantial in its vertical dimension and, therefore, the pinion gear 84 will engage this geared surface even though member 54 be raised or lowered by means of the knob I04 and its associated parts.

Third, the bearing I4 may be worn in such a manner that its diameter tapers slightly from one of the walls I8, Ilia to the other. To make the bearing a true cylinder it may be necessary to tilt the grinding wheel '50. To accomplish this, the head assembly 42 and the guide rod 40 and the guide plate 34 must be tilted. This is accomplished by loosening bolt 30 in slot 3i and slightly moving the U-shaped member 32. Since the abutment I08 engages the inner sides of walls I8,

I8a, plate 34 Will rotate on the pointed screws 30 and give a tilted position to the whole assembly including the abrasive wheel 10 so that only a part of its lower surface will engage the bearing When the grinding operation is ready to start, motor I8 is started and through the flexible cable 14 the grinding Wheel 70 is driven. To grind the bearing I4 in a true cylinder, it is necessary to slowly rotate the crankshaft I0, and this is accomplished by means, not shown, which may be either through the normal starting motor or by some other motive power which slowly rotates the crankshaft. Thus the grinding operation takes place while the crankshaft It is rotating and the adjustment of the grinding wheel '10 i accomplished in the manner previously described.

Insofar as the clamping arm H25 and its associated parts are concerned, adjustments are made before the grinding or finishing operation commences. It is essential that the abutment member I00 be of the proper size since the outer'ends of its arms should engage the walls I8, I8a. For

this purpose interchangeable abutment members are necessary. During the grinding operation the diameter of the bearing I 4 will be slightly diminished but spring I26 will compensate for this condition by continuously urging roller I24 against the bearing. If, however, further adjustment is necessary, the same may be made from 7 beneath the crankshaft without removing the structure-fromthe engine block. 7

Since the crankshaft I6 is in continuous rotation during the grinding operation, the head assembly 42 mustoscillate with the bearing i4 and this is accomplished through the pivotal connection-44 with the guide rod 40. The flexible shaft 14 will also reciprocate with the head assembly42 and this will impart a rocking movement to motor 18 on itspivotal connection 79 with the bracket 80. The other flexible shafts 88 and H32 may, if desired, be loosely tiedto the armored cable, not shown, that surrounds shaft. 14.

Theadvantages, of the present, invention reside inprov'idinga device which may be quickly andeasilymounted on a suitable support and which isadiustablein several respects so as to accommodate it to different types of work surfaces, and wherein these adjustments may be readily made while the grinding operation is in progress or without-removing the device from its mounting.

My invention is defined in the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for grinding the crank pins of a crankshaft while positioned in an engine block, comprising a driven shaft supporting a cylindrical grinding wheel with its flat end face tangent to a crank pin and on the side thereof toward the engine cylinder, a bearing member having an eccentrically disposed bore forming a support for the shaft, a casing engaging the outer surface of the bearing member, clamping means carried by the casing and engaging the crank pin .on a Side opposite the grinding wheel whereby the casing and its associated parts reciprocate with the crank pin when the crankshaft is rotated; a guide rod extending into the cylinder and pivotally connected to the casing, guide means supported on the engine block and engaging the guide rod. and arranged to permit sliding of the guide rod longitudinally of the cylinder, a first manually operable means journalled in the casing and connected with the bearing member for rotating the same about its central axis to arcuately move the grinding wheel in a plane parallelwith the axis of the crank pin, and a second manually operable means journalled in the easing and connected with the bearing member to move said member in a plane perpendicular with theaxis of the crank pin.

2. A device for grinding the crank pins of a crankshaft while positioned in an engine block, comprising a member engageable with a crank pin and having a bearing for a grinding wheel shaft extending perpendicularly to the crankshaft and on the side thereof toward the engine cylinder, a grinding wheel shaft mounted in the bearing and carrying a cylindrical grinding wheel with its flat end face tangent to the crank pin, driving means extending into the cylinder and connected with the grinding wheel shaft, guiding means extending into the cylinder and pivotally connected to said member to reciprocate with said member when the crankshaft is rotated, a guide support mounted on the upper surface of the engine block, connecting means adjustably joining the guide support to the engine block permitting longitudinal movement ofv the guide support relative tothe engine block, and pivotal means connecting the guide means to the guide support to effect tilting movement of the grinding wheeluwith respect to, the crank pin to remove a taper on the crank pinwhen the guide support is moved relative to the engine block.

3. A device for grinding the crank pins of a crankshaft while positioned in an engine block, comprising a member engageable with a crank pin and having a bearing for a grinding wheel shaft extending perpendicularly to the crankshaft and on the side thereof toward the engine cylinder, a grinding wheel shaft mounted in the bearing and carrying a cylindrical grinding wheel with its fiat end face tangent to the crank pin, driving means extending into the cylinder and connected with the grinding wheel shaft, a guide rod extending into the engine cylinder and pivotally connected at its lower end to said member, to reciprocate as the crankshaft is rotated, guide means forming a sliding connection with the upper part of theguide rod, a guide block carried on theupper surface of the engine block having arms extending on either lateral side of the guide means, pivotal means joining the arms of the guide block and the guide means, and means forming an adjustable connection between the guide block'and the engine block for adjusting the position of the guide block in a longitudinal direction with respect to the engine block to permit tilting of the grinding wheel relative to a crank pin to remove a taper on the pin.

4. In a device for'grinding the crank pins of a crankshaft while positioned in an engine, including a member engageable with a crank pin and having a bearing for a grinding wheel shaft extending perpendicularly to the crankshaft and on the side thereof toward the engine cylinder, a grinding wheel shaft mounted in the bearing and carrying a cylindrical grinding wheel with itsrfiat end face tangent to the crank pin, a guide rod extending into the engine cylinder and pivotally connected at its lower end to said memher to reciprocate as the crankshaft is rotated, at least one guide roller engaging opposite lateral sides of the upper end of the guide rod, a block forming a support for the guide rollers, a U- shaped member carried on the upper surface of the engine block and partially surrounding the support for the guide rollers, pivotal means joining opposed portions of the U-shaped member with the sides of said support, and an adjustable connection between said U-shaped member and the engine block operable to permit sliding movement of the U-shaped member in'a longitudinal direction with respect to the engine. block.

5. A device for grinding the crank pins of a crankshaft While positioned in an engine block, comprising a driven shaft supporting a cylindrical grinding wheel with its fiat end face tangent to a crank pin and on a side thereof toward the engine cylinder, a cylindrical bearing having an eccentrically disposed bore forming a support for the shaft, said bearing having a geared surface about a portion of its periphery adjacent the upper extremity thereof, said bearing having a groove formed therein on one end of the geared surface, a casing engaging a portion of the outer surface of the bearing, a spring between the bearing and the casing biasing bearing upwardly within the casing, means carried by the casing and engaging the crank pin on a side thereof opposite the grinding wheel, a pinion gear journalled in the casing and engaging the geared surface on the bearing for eccentrically moving the grinding wheel with respect to the crank pin, a feed screw journalled'in the casing and operatively engaging the groovein the bearing to vertically move the bearing with respect to. the

casing, and manually operable means connected to each of said gears and extending upwardly through the engine cylinder for controlling the movement of the bearing with respect to the casing.

6. A device for grinding a portion of a crankshaft while the latter is rotated in an engine block, comprising a grinding wheel, a driven shaft connected to said grinding wheel and extending upwardly therefrom, a rotatable member containing an eccentrically disposed bearing surface which supports said shaft at one side of the rotative axis of the member, a casing engaging the outer surface of said rotatable member, an arm depending from the lower extremity of the casing, clamping means carried by said arm and engaging the lower surface of the crankshaft, an adjustable connection between the arm and the clamping means for adjusting said clamping means relative to said arm in such a manner as to adjust the position of the grinding Wheel relative to the upper surface of the crankshaft and to hold the casing in rigid relationship with the crankshaft in such a manner that the casing reciprocates with the crankshaft when the latter is rotated, a

guide rod extending above the casing, pivotal connecting means joining the casing and the guide rod to provide oscillatory movement of the casing relative to the guide rod, guide rollers engaging said guide rod for guiding the same in vertical reciprocating movement, said guide means being adapted for mounting on the engine block, a motor carried by the engine block, a flexible connection extending between said motor and said driven shaft for driving the same While the cas- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,181,999 Drake May 9, 1916 1,269,506 Preston June 11, 1918 1,408,578 Garner Mar. 7, 1922 1,480,512 Critchfield Jan. 8, 1924 1,967,744 Craft July 24, 1934 2,130,003 Fuglie Sept. 13, 1938 2,235,417 Brazil Mar. 18, 1941 2,238,646 Indge Apr. 15, 1941 2,247,344 Fuglie June 24, 1941 2,272,974 Indge Feb. 10, 1942 2,298,005 Fuglie Oct. 6, 1942 2,391,406 Fuglie Dec. 25, 1945 2,531,161 Rutherford Nov. 211, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 254,259 Germany Nov. 28, 1912 374,579 Great Britain Feb. 29, 1932 640,733 France Apr. 3, 1928 

